Mermaid's Tale

March 14, 2010

By Anonymous, La Mirada, CA

Image Credit: April W., Rogersville, MO

The author's comments:

I decided to create this peace since I began wondering how did mythical creatures had come to life in the world. Honestly if someone had just imagined it people would treat ideas like that like we do know. Also how did they become so concrete in history, religions, etc. What if they had existed at some point in time? What if they still do?

A flame burned vividly towards the approaching night, the tamed licks of fire skillfully whipped it away without another minutes thought as it approached and as thousands of years in being controlled by humans has taught it. However how long could a fire last when it has the frozen winds from the north facing it and possibly unprepared for the rain that the solitary fire will face if came as predicted. However if man has learned anything from his term on the breathing planet is that if come for disaster nature never forgets to recover. The night crawled along so lonely as beckoned by father time until as was expected with one easy, yet hurtful breath of the earth the fire was muted letting in the darkness. If anything happened at that exact moment the trees would never say, but from what was heard came like this. A clawing sound almost as if one was climbing a tree echoed through the night and was broken up by intervals of flying daggers and blades that meant the target had not been hit. By the time the aggressors had reached the looming tree all that could be seen was an occasional movement of the foliage that could have been caused by the breezes as it could have been caused by the escapee in hiding. The aggressors no longer able to pursue and knowing full well the dangers of staying in the forest at night left for the predators and nature to take care of removing the escapees from their ‘purified world’.

The moment came after so long with the moon looming over that unnatural movement commenced in the tree. From the tree jumped down the form of a man that in the feeble light of the moon was more accurately described a teenager tall for his age. He stood there looking up when a flourish of a skirt fell down as he did and was caught by him and put down on two feet. Compared to him the girl, dark hair straight with emerald eyes, seemed to glow in the darkness. She walked a little to recover from the sudden fall, lifting her skirt a bit so she woudn’t have another unnecessary obstacle to tangle in. Her walking remained unaffected but as the brown haired teenager watched as her walking had become clumsier than that of when they first escaped. After she felt capable enough they pressed forward while he held a blade in his hand that had been tied to his waist in front prepared for any creatures of the night to become too curious. The coldness of the night did not affect her and he acted the same but truth be told the body could only hold out so long before the damage of the night being unprepared became permanent and fatal. They walked still and she rummaged ideas in her mind remembering that proper attire then was a skirt, proper or work attire, and a underskirt were required. She earned a softened glare from her weary traveling partner but that did not stop her. She ripped off her floral overskirt to his surprise and leaving the underskirt untouched. Then she tossed it over his head and fashioned it into a makeshift but effective poncho. She continued their wayward pace and he froze but only for moment acting unaffected by her actions and the trip went on as before, the only difference being that the teen was a little warmer. Soon as they had planned from the days before they passed a giant redwood tree which on the very other side was attached a solitary well made of dried mud bricks and a wooden hut to prevent foliage from falling in. There they only drank too prevent dehydration because even if they felt cold it was obvious that they could fall from exhaustion or dehydration at any moment.

The moon overheard had watched them the entire time but like any tiring soul it began its slow descent towards the horizon. It was tempting to find a spot to sleep and rest but they both knew that once the sun had risen the hunters would be back with the aid of horses and bloodhounds. The morning air after being so cold and still began to wake up with the warm winds coming from the south where the first beams of light were evident. It gave them a sense of achievement having survived the winter night and also a sense of dread as only so much space was between them and the people after them. They reached a obstacle in the road that had taken the form of a cliff looming over the and under. Then that land continued to stretch down until it reached the blessed shores of the ocean. The water and forest was dark because the light hadn’t crept over the rock walls of the cliff to underneath. It was so close to their goal and yet impossible. Had they known they would have turned back long ago and taken another route down, however their minds were obsessed with not being caught the night before. They were about to turn when they heard the howls of the trained hounds from a peak they had climbed not too long ago. If they turned now they would certainly be caught by the horses while finding the way down. However from here the hunters would never be able to get down safely while controlling the horses. She stood mesmerized with the sense of home and her eyes were so full of the ocean she would not understand the urgency as it became closer. Caught by surprise she only had time to turn and see his face as he grabbed her in a death grip and flung both of them down the cliff. To weak from the trip she could only watch frightened as the ground met to meet them and his back was towards i. The sound a cracking branches and fluttering birds echoed around the area up the walls of the cliff and disdainfully to the ears of the hunters. It took her a while as the stun of the crash had left her numb. The entire time while she rolled off him and then went to him he had not moved. When she could finally crawl she dreaded what was wrong and put her pale hand over his heart. The beat was far too faint and was getting weaker because she kept her hand there for minutes scared to let go and see it disappear. She did not notice the tears flood her eyes and fall silently into the frozen earth under her realizing the price for what she was doing. However whatever pulse was left disappeared underneath her hand and with that the body became cold as death came to it. Her tears soon dried up and the sun had already made its way to the earlier part of its progress. The hunters would have given in by now seeing there was no way to catch her down here, either that or they both were declared dead from the fall. There was no way for him to come back but her hope still burned like the fire in the night keeping away the sense of truth. The sea was so close now that the smell of the air coming had the taste of salt and sand with the sounds of seagulls echoing. She stood up over the body of her partner and began walking, back against it, towards the ocean. Once again in a daze on a subject of matter unknown to man that was ever important to her. Remembering her obsession that had started this journey and had meant there first meeting together. She was on the beach by then engulfed in her thoughts, the white sand glowed from the touch of sun bleaching for so long. The salty water came along with the tide to meet her pale feet and give her a chill which she didn’t move away from but instead enjoyed. She continued to walk until the water was at her waist, then her shoulders until she had no other choice but to dive in with her body and continue swimming. Her head of black hair bobbed every once in awhile but disappeared as if sucked in when she was very deep in. However from her area nothing came back up or closer, however if you look out farther and farther into the blue sea on occasion you may see a sudden sparkle of light reflecting of the golden scales of a fish tail and a human body connected to it swimming away from shore back to the deep oceans they call home. Singing the heartbroken song that echoes through the oceans and under them and that the ocean echoes back in response over the years to those for the future.

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